Kenyahp, I disagree with a kind of central point in what you're saying (if I'm reading it correctly) - It kind of reads to me like you're saying Marigold hasn't had any support and that's why she's like that? Because that would typify the difference - Hanners is taking responsibility for her condition, where as Marigold isn't.
Support or not, the decision to act and to improve yourself is one you make on your own and if you don't decide to do that then no amount of outside help will make any lasting improvement. I don't see a huge amount of Marigold development here to be honest. She's not dealing with her screw up, getting back up and doing something, she's blaming herself and wallowing in self pity, even in the face of Hanners, a woman with a bunch of issues herself who gets up every day and tries to better herself. If I was Hannerelore I'd get a bit pissed with Marigold's attitude.
She's not even replying to her properly. "Meh" ? "No. Wanna Sleep." ? What kind of way is that to speak to someone who's clearly trying to help you?
No no, I was saying that until Hannelore came around no one was really
around to tell her to get off her ass and hang out in the real world. Angus certainly didn't. Thats what I was going for. Hanners was a wreck but had Station and everyone on station to support her. Even if they weren't good at it.
I'm not saying Hannelore isn't super strong. I'm just saying that she has different problems. Hannelore is an adult and is acting like one. Maybe I understand Marigold's reactions because they are the reactions of a teenager. Self pity is what teens do best. And, if you live in the internet world, you're perpetually a teenager. I know this from experience. On the internet, playing wow, you don't have to grow up and out of your weird low-self-esteem-narcissism phase. Marigold doesn't have the social graces that allow her to be self confident and stand up from her mistakes. I think we are denying the fact that, up until Marten and friends, Hannelore really wasn't improving much beyond the fact that she had her own apartment. She developed vices such as smoking and drinking to cope rather than how she does it now. Hannelore has been around longer, also, than Marigold. If you search the beginning strips of her, you actually see change only coming on gradually. The major shift of touch took a really long time. And, Marbear has changed. Her interactions prove it. The fact that she accepted the invitation to come aboard in the first place, to me, speaks volumes. Hanners couldn't force her to go if she didn't want to. And, I think, thats the monumental change there. Accepting invitations for things that no one could force you to go to, such as to the bar, to a party, and to the space station. Sociophobia is a hard thing, in itself, to work around.
But, then again, I would agree that responses do come off as rude. But, they are best friends. At least she wasn't calling herself fat and ugly during it, too. Yelling at someone who can't help being sad and embarrassed doesn't help, so Hanners wasn't going to do it.
...dammit, I rant way too much. (I'm sorry!!!)